Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Blog!

Hiya peonies,

I must confess, I love my kale but until recently I have only experimented with it in juices, smoothies, steamed or lightly sautéed. What about the Kale salads? They’re delish but sadly I don’t make them on my own. When I was training at Hippocrates we would massage and marinate the kale with lemon (some folks use salt) till our hands hurt. Then Chef Ken would let it sit for a bit in order to break down the fiber and welcome the softness. Great when at Hippocrates, but at home I’m LAZY.

1-2-3 easy breezy bitchin’ kitchen gal - that's me. I rarely deal with chow that take extra planning. My weeks are random and wonky. Travel on planes, trains and automobiles are the norm. Thus, I often come home to a fridge full o’ nada.

Last week was a purrfectly pathetic example. After a quick visit to Ohio for a speech I returned to find a ghost town in my fridge. At first glance all I saw were a few sprigs of kale blowing around like left over tumble weeds of a forgotten time. F@CK! I was alone, hungry, tired, and ready to order take out – yet again. Wait a second, my grandmother trained me in the kitchen. A whirlwind of chef by trade, her creativity was in her hands. She could see a jar of mustard and pickle and make a four-course meal. So rather than cave in or cop out, I vowed to re-survey my fridge with the eyes of forensic detective.

Ah: two Ezkiel wraps (somewhat stale, but acceptable), Ooh: a few oil cured olives, ½ an avocado and a borderline lemon. Voila: hemp seeds and a little red onion. Presto: Down & Dirty Kale Wrap City! Screw the massage, I barely have time for one so the kale will just have to deal.


Muse Monday Recipe:

De-vein the kale and chop into tiny strips
Make a delish dressing with Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (and/or lemon), organic olive oil, and braggs
Toss together – Add some dulse to the mix if ya got it
Take the avocado (AKA natures butter) and spread it on the wrap
Chop up some oil cured olives and disco them into the mix
Chop red onion – add to the orgy
Shimmy those hemp seeds all over the place

Wrap it up, lock and load.

I ate 2. Total heaven. Much to my surprise it wasn't that tough at all - a little extra chewing was all it took. I also added some raw (cheese-free, nut based) parm. And heaven’s to Betsy look what was for desert. How did that get in my fridge? Sheesh! YUM!


Kale Factoids:
The green goddess is high in calcium, iron, vitamin A & C. It’s a good source of protein phytochemicals and potassium. Did I mention fiber? Oh, la la the intestinal broom!

Peace and Leafy’s,
K

Anyone else have a menu muse spotlight on kale for today? What's your recipe for the King of the leafy's?